(CPL) Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel are the new kings of Caribbean cricket after winning the 2015 Hero CPL.
The Red Steel won a thrilling final in front of their home fans at a rocking Queen’s Park Oval, seeing off the defending champions Barbados Tridents.
Half centuries from Kamran Akmal (60) and Cameron Delport (50) in a century partnership, plus a late flurry from Dwayne Bravo (29) saw them post an imposing total of 178-6.
Barbados made a stunning start in return, with US star Steven Taylor scoring 20 runs off his first 10 balls in CPL and Dwayne Smith finding form. The pair put on 47 in the openoing four overs before Taylor’s debut ended when he was out lbw to Johan Botha.
The Tridents tried to keep pace with Smith (49) falling just short of a half century and Kyle Corbin (20) and Misbah Ul Haq (21) getting among the runs.
But they fell behind the run rate and even the arrival of Kieron Pollard (X) couldn’t see them home.
The Red Steel are the third different winner of the CPL, following the Jamaica Tallawahs in 2013 and Barbados last year.
They did it the hard way, winning six out of their last seven matches, including eliminator victories over the much-fancied Tallawahs and the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
